Strop vs Hone Direction

[WittyAg]

I'm just trying to get my ducks in a row. Is the direction you strop vs. hone opposite?

From what I've seen it seems like when you hone a blade, you push the sharp edge of the blade away from you, flip it on the spine, then pull the sharp edge towards you.

When you strop it seems like you push the spine away from you, flip it on the spine, then pull the spine towards you.

Is this correct, or do you actually hone and strop the same direction?

 

[mdunn]

correct - stropping the spine (the blunt bit) goes first, otherwise you would shread your strop, honing the blade goes first, otherwise it would take forever to hone

 

[mparker762]

correct - stropping the spine (the blunt bit) goes first, otherwise you would shread your strop, honing the blade goes first, otherwise it would take forever to hone

Also if you hone edge-trailing then the bits of swarf go under the blade and damage the edge as it passes, whereas if you hone edge-leading they tend to go harmlessly over the top. With a pasted strop this isn't as much of a factor since the strop is softer allowing the swarf to sink down into the leather/balsa/canvas where it can't do as much damage. This is one of the things Verhoeven looked at in his sharpening study.

 

[huntmol]

Also if you hone edge-trailing then the bits of swarf go under the blade and damage the edge as it passes, whereas if you hone edge-leading they tend to go harmlessly over the top. With a pasted strop this isn't as much of a factor since the strop is softer allowing the swarf to sink down into the leather/balsa/canvas where it can't do as much damage. This is one of the things Verhoeven looked at in his sharpening study.

Interesting, I have always heard that some will just take a few spine-leading x-strokes on a barber's hone to refresh the edge. I did not think about the swarf going under the blade...

 

[leighton]

Interesting, I have always heard that some will just take a few spine-leading x-strokes on a barber's hone to refresh the edge. I did not think about the swarf going under the blade...

But theres no swarf buildup for your first stroke. The amount of swarf buildup per stroke is directly proportional to the coarseness of the stone. A Barber's hone is universally rated to be a "finishing" hone, aka very fine. Therefore, 4-6 laps on a barber's hone would produce very little or no swarf buildup at all. Therefore, there is no swarf problem.

edit:
Didn't answer original question. The answers you seek are in your first two responses. Although, I do an X-Pattern on my strop with heel leading as well as heel leading x-stroke on the hones. So While the strop is spine leading, everything else is very similar.

 

[huntmol]

Thanks Leighton! That is a good explanation, I did not think of that